U.S. software giant Microsoft drummed up publicity for Windows XP, its most ambitious operating system ever, by signing up high-profile corporate users in Singapore ahead of its launch later in New York on Thursday.

Microsoft said DBS Bank, Southeast Asia's largest bank, and Singapore Exchange Ltd, the country's stock market, were the first two corporate users of the Windows Messenger feature built into Windows XP.

"Both DBS and SGX were the natural choices for collaboration as they both have large customer bases which will benefit from the Windows Messenger service and dot-net alerts service," said Microsoft Singapore managing director Natasha Kwan.

DBS and SGX will offer the service next month, allowing clients to customise personal Web pages. They can choose to be alerted of events such as revised foreign exchange rates or movements in the benchmark Straits Times Index.

Across Asia Pacific, Windows XP launched in India, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia on Thursday. Next Tuesday it will launch in Taiwan, Philippines and Vietnam. November will see Hong Kong, Indonesia, China and Japan.